Contact lens wearers on holiday

[Hettythechicken]

What do you do to cope with swimming/beach/pool etc? I know that getting lenses wet is a big no no (even though I did it for years before realising) but I don’t fancy wearing glasses when playing with kids in pool etc. I suppose I have no option? What do you do?

I have the optician fit me for dailies and just buy a couple of weeks worth to take on holiday. I wear goggles if actually swimming and then take them out once we leave pool/beach area for the day and put my monthlies back in to wear for the evening.
I used to work in an opticians and the optom said this was fine. I’ve never told any new optician this is what I intended to do though as a colleague saying it off the record, and someone who has a legal obligation to advise you not to, are a bit different. I just ask for a fit for dailies for convenience on holiday.

Don't wear them. Get prescription sunglasses and give your eyes a break!
I've found my contacts increasingly uncomfortable, so wouldn't mind just wearing glasses (and you don't need to wear anything g while swimming). But when you get and gainer I wore the contacts, advice be damned.

Similar to PP I wear goggles in the pool (mostly) and if eyes feeling tired by night either take a break and put in fresh pair in or glasses for evenings

I buy a stash of daily lenses on line and keep spares with me at all times. Then I just change them regularly throughout the day when I get out the pool. I have prescription sunglasses too so when I’m on the sun lounger I’ll give my eyes a break from wearing contacts.

this isn’t good advice by the way as infections from water and contact lenses can be very serious.

I’d never heard you shouldn’t wear them in shower/pool/sea until the last couple of visits to the opticians where they made a big deal of it. The stories about bacteria in your eyes are scary!
I can’t see a thing without glasses/lenses so I suppose I’ll have to get prescription sunglasses but does that mean I can’t go snorkelling? I reckon most people don’t follow the rules.

I wear dailies too.

Two friends have had corneal ulcers from contact lenses it's awful one friend four times now despite the fact she binned contact after first infection. So no I would get prescription sunglasses

Dailies and goggles In pool / sea or sunglasses if not likely to get my face wet

I just wear my contacts 🤷🏼‍♀️

Prescription goggles for in the pool?

You can get prescription goggles - my dad is very short-sighted and wouldn’t be able to find his way from the pool back to the lounger without them. You don’t need to replace them as often as glasses as the prescription doesn’t have to be perfect.

@BabyMoonPie beat me to it!

I just wore my daily contacts as usual. If I went in the sea or pool I just made sure I didn't splash and get water in my eyes. Or wore my sunglasses as a bit of protection.

I wear dailies and take them out the moment we get back. We never stay at the UK beach for long though as I get cold.
Sunglasses over them if it's a little splashy in the sea. Goggles for body boarding.

I just wear my contacts ....goggles if swimming seriously but just just popping in and out of water to cool down then I just carry on as normal .
Take them out every night and leave them soaking until I put back in the next morning .

I ignore my optician and wear contacts - in the pool, the sea, the shower, paddle boarding at the lake. Generally I wear monthlies but switch to dailies for holidays.

I've done it for years and years with no issues. Like a pp, it's only the last couple of years that my optician has made a big deal out of it.

When I was a teen I used to go swimming and open my eyes under the water with contacts in (no goggles). They stay put surprisingly well! Not that I'd do that now lol.

I keep them in if it's literally just floating around in a pool no splashing (DCs are teens so no playing/supervision). Prescription goggles / change to glasses for proper swimming or using water slides etc. Plain goggles packed as well. Glasses held on with one of those rubber things for any water sport. Prescription sunglasses just don't work for me, the lenses are so thick (-12 prescription).

You can get prescription goggles for under £20 and you can also get prescription masks. There is also an option of a sort of clip on that goes over the mask.

Do you have your own snorkeling equipment?

www.prescription-swimming-goggles.co.uk/swimming-goggles

Surprised to hear people say they've only just heard about the dangers of water from opticians, mine have drilled it into me since I first started wearing them 35 years ago.

I just wear my lenses as usual. I wear goggles and i take a few extra pairs so i can swap the pair out half way through the day if i feel i need to

Exactly what I do and optician told me that removing straight after swimming reduces the risk

I've always just carried on with my contacts. So easy and more comfortable.

But I had a corneal ulcer a few months ago and it scared the life out of me. It was so painful and the treatment was a huge pain in the bum.

But most of all the thought of the long term damage it could have resulted in has made me get prescription sunnies for my holiday this year. I'd rather a bit of inconvenience than blindness.

I've worn contacts for 20 years and wear them in the shower, pool, sea etc. the last 5-10years I've had ones you never take out except to change them once a fortnight

This is a really useful thread... Does anyone know if you can get dialies for strong prescriptions? With astigmatism to boot (😩)

I've never been offered dailies at the optician but I'm starting to think I want them anyway as I only wear them a few times a week.

Holidaying as a really short sighted person is such a pain isn't it!

I have dailies for -6, with astigmatism.